The Stalker (English)
by YellowMoonFlower
Summary: What would happen if Claire, who supposed to be a young hard working farmer, was hiding an ulterior motive behind her moving to Mineral Town? Yes, the blonde hair came to Mineral Town only to chase after Gray, her unrequited love since middle school. But was it truly the only reason?
1. One Million Joule Energy of Your Smile

Disclaimer: Harvest Moon and all its characters are not mine. I only own this fanfic. :3

.

.

.

 **~1~**

 **"One Million Joule Energy of Your Smile"**

.

.

Spring.

Claire looked out of the train's windows, enjoying the rural scenery which passing by quickly. Spring just had come and some signs of winter still remained here and there. Green shoots emerged, pointed out from the bare soil, barks, and the thin snow covered them. The air was fresh, cool, yet getting warmer and it made her felt so comfortable. As she looked at the beautiful scenery, her smile had almost never leaved her lips. The scenery was not the only reason for her happiness, though. She finally found him. Yes, him: her love, obsession, and –perhaps, her whole life.

~ 000 ~

8:30 am. After traveling for two hours by train and three hours away by boat, Claire finally arrived in her destination: a small village called Mineral Town. The sound of the seagulls that blended with the waves, the light brown sandy beach, the clear blue sky with just a bit of clouds –those were the first sights she saw in this town.

She groped her jacket pocket and pulled out a small notebook. She opened a page where she wrote the address of her new home. Because she was completely had no sense of direction, she asked one of the ship's crew. Lucky the crew was familiar with this area. By following his direction, Claire walked quickly with a big rucksack on her back. She could feel her heart was beating faster as she entered the residence area. Actually, she didn't bump to anyone along the street. Even so her eyes couldn't help but searching for the man who had become her reason of coming to this town.

After walking for a few minutes she finally found someone. A man with glasses and weird haircut. He seemed to be feeding his chickens.

"Ah, hello, good morning!" Claire said her greeting as she walked toward him. He replied her greeting with a friendly smile.

"Hello! This is the first time I saw you... are you a tourist? A trip to hot spring? Ah, looking for an inn?" he asked some questions in a row.

Claire smiled and shook her head, "No, I'm the new farmer who will be living in the farm. My name is Claire!"

Her introduction apparently made the guy quite shocked. Claire could see it from a frown on his forehead.

"Eh? You?" he asked, pointing his index finger to Claire. The way he said it made her felt a bit offended.

"Yes, I am. Any problem?"

"Err, no. I thought that it was a man! I mean, to take over that super abandoned farm…" he paused when he noticed Claire's worried face. He bet she didn't know how bad the condition of that farm and just bought it on a whim –just like some other persons before her. "Well, no problem. My name is Rick! If you need chickens or anything, just tell me, Claire," he continued with a smiling face.

"Of course! Nice to meet you, Rick!" Claire replied cheerfully. Both then waved a goodbye to each other. She continued her walk and saw a building with a nameplate "Saibara's Blacksmith". As her eyes read the nameplate, a sudden warmth infiltrated her heart. And somehow, tears started dripping from the corner of her eyes. This was the reason she came to the town.

Clang!

The Blacksmith's door opened and a man with orange hair walked out. Their eyes met for a moment. Seeing the crying girl, the man raised his eyebrows a little, a bit startled. She noticed it and quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"H-hello," said Claire with a slightly trembling voice.

"Ah, hello. Excuse me," the man said. It seemed like he did not want to involve in this awkward situation any longer and chose to go.

But Claire's feeling was ragged at the sight of the man's back went farther. She wanted to reach it. She wanted to hug it. But as she'd thought... the man didn't even recognize her.

 _What should I do?_

 _He's going to go..._

 _Am I going to lose my chance again?_

 _No..._

"Sen..."

 _Don't go..._

"GRAY-senpai !" She cried so loud with all her strength.

Hearing his name was called; the man halted his steps and turned around. What he saw was a blonde girl with her tears kept dripping, one by one. This strange sight made him frown. How did this girl know his name?

Claire clenched her hands, stared at Gray intently.

"Uhm, I..."

 _Nervous._

"I, I..."

 _Aah... I don't care anymore!_

"I love you!"

.

 _Finally, I said it…_

.

"Eh?" Gray struck dumb over the unexpected love confession from a girl he didn't know.

.

 _The feeling I've been keeping for all these nine years…_

.

"Eh… Ac-actually! I'm your underclassman in middle school. Ma-maybe you don't know about me... b-but I've always, always, always love you all this time!" Claire said haltingly. She tried to see Gray's blue eyes, but could not. More than this, she felt like she might die from a heart attack.

Because those were the eyes which were always on her mind; the face that kept popping in her brain even though she had tried to get rid of it. An absurd feeling –she didn't ever meet him since graduation, but it was too real to be ignored.

"Uhm… sorry? Maybe you've got wrong person? My name is indeed Gray, but..."

"No, IT'S YOU," interrupted Claire. "Gray Freecs-senpai. Born in the Emerald City, Winter 5. You studied in Emerald Middle School and Forget-me-not Valley School of Engineering. Your best friends when middle school were Mark-senpai and Amir-senpai. You love baked corn and high places. And, back at middle school, you really loved to read astronomy books!" she explained diffusely without any paused.

Gray's mind went jumbling. He gawked. He didn't know what to say, because that Gray was indeed him. How could she know about so much detail, when he didn't even know her… could it be...

"Are you a stalker?" he asked with a frown on his forehead. The question seemed to hit the right spot.

"Eh... N-no. Ma-Maybe? Ah... but I've never done anything bad! I..." Claire tried to defend herself. "I just wanted to see you. That's why I looking… for… things," said Claire with a voice that was getting lower.

Gray inspected her from head to toe. On her back there was a big rucksack, obviously she just came from a long journey. He remembered Mayor Thomas mentioned about a new farmer who bought the farm at south. The Mayor said he felt relief because finally he could get his hand off of that super abandoned farm. And that was when Gray realized something. "Don't tell me...?"

Gray's suspicion was answered by Claire's wide smile. He was sure he could even see pink flowers were flying around Claire when she expressed her determination so bluntly.

"I'm here to chase after you. Yoroshiku, Senpai!"

Since then, Gray's peaceful days began to change.

~ 000 ~

"Did you hear that new farmer? She's a girl, but she's such a hard worker!"

"You're right! Yesterday, I looked she was still working on her farm until 6pm!"

"Oh... If it were me, I won't be able to do that!"

"Right? But I feel sorry for her. That kind of girl might have no time to think about love and romance!"

"Yes, yes! I'm sure there's only one goal in her head: to be a success farmer!"

"Ahahahaha!"

Gray frowned when he heard a loud noise coming from some housewives who were gossiping in Rose Square. Actually, he just happened to passing by the Rose Square to deliver a box of kitchen knives –an order, to Zack. His heart itched by uncomfortable feelings. Those housewives were wrong. Claire's intention might be completely far from becoming a success farmer. As he remembered his conversation with her yesterday, Gray felt a goose bump on his nape.

 _"Chasing... me?" Gray ascertained that he didn't hear it wrong._

 _"Yup! Ne, Senpai, do you have a girlfriend?" she asked bluntly. A question that hit the mark for Gray who, since he settled in this town one and half years ago, continuing on being single. Not because there was no girl he liked here –no. It was because he had no courage to tell her his feeling. Once the face of the girl he liked appeared in his mind, his face was automatically flushed._

 _"No, not yet. But soon!" with an awkward smirk, Gray proclaimed his determination confidently._

 _Claire smiled over his attitude. Her eyes shone. Just like an explorer in a cave full of beasts and evils, who finally found a light after walked for days._

Since then Claire really always came to Blacksmith every morning to greet him. Gray gulped. He might have taken the wrong step. He should just tell her that he had already married, to make her give up. Being chased by a girl he didn't even remember made him feel very uncomfortable.

Thinking and walking at the same time, without knowing he had reach Zack's house at Mineral Beach. The door was locked, and there was no answer even though he had knocked for a couple times. So the man wasn't at home. He decided to wait for him –maybe he just went for a while to supermarket, as usual.

Gray's eyes were screening down the scenery of pale blue sky and dark blue sea afar. His gaze moved closer to shallow greenery sea near the coast, continued along the coast line, searching for some signs of life. But as usual, Mineral Beach was always empty unless there were festivals or when a passenger ship docked. Ah, no. Not only the beach which seemed empty. Even the residence area had not many people living there. This was such a quiet, desolated village. It was even quitter around the Mother's Hill forest. No one lived there, except Gotz the carpenter who dedicated his life to guard the forest while doing his routine collecting woods.

Even for Gray, there wasn't much to do in this small village. He was just learning about blacksmith, going to the library, to the mountain and mine sometimes, and chatting with his friends at Inn... Well, maybe those were lots enough. But what about Claire? Did she really come to this village only to chase him? Just how crazy is that girl could be?

"Sigh… whatever," murmured Gray, decided to not care about her. He sat down on a bench in front of Zack's house; put the box contained knives near his feet. The sound of wind, waves and seagulls made his mind somewhat in peace. Not long after that, he fell asleep.

"Senpai!"

Gray opened his eyes. With his eyes blurry, he could recognize the shadow of two people in front of him. Zack and... Claire. Well, of course. Who in this village called him 'senpai' aside from her?

"Are you waiting for me?" Zack asked.

"Ah... yes," Gray nodded. He stretches the stiff muscles of his neck, arms and legs. "Could you deliver this box of knives to Mr. Chen at Sunshine Island's port?" asked Gray, handing him a long brown envelope. Zack opened the envelope, peeked at something inside, and smiled.

"All right, Mr. Blacksmith. This afternoon you'll have your box send with others!"

Gray felt calm that Zack accepted the job. "Okay, thank you, Zack," said him with a smile –pretty ordinary smile for Gray and Zack. Not for the only girl among them, though. For her, the smile was equal to medusa freezing rays. She had been bewitched and turned into a red-cheeked statue.

"Hello, Claire?" Zack wagged his palms in front of Claire's face. There was no response. The girl was completely enchanted. Zack and Gray looked at each other, frowned. Only when yelled very loudly that she was back to reality, "Claire!"

"Ah... yes!" she answered nervously. Her cheeks were red. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. It was so much to the point that her tears might flow at any time.

"What's wrong?" Gray asked with frowned eyebrows. She looked at Gray again and realized that she couldn't hold back her feeling any longer. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

"... MARRY ME!" Claire shouted.

"NO WAY." Gray replied firmly with plain tone. "Zack, I'm going home. Thanks again," said him to Zack who was still in daze after hearing Claire's 'spontaneous proposal'.

"O, oh. Sure. You're welcome," Zack replied. When his back could no longer be seen, Zack turned his head to look the rejected girl. Her shoulders trembled, her cheeks bulging, her eyes narrowed, and a pair of her eyebrows nearly fused. When his eyes met hers, the girl's tears fell from her eyes.

"Za-Zaackk..." Claire sobbed.

"Huh?"

Unexpectedly, Claire shook her head hardly. As if she had found her own determination, she wiped the tears with the back of her hands.

"I'll give my best," she said. Although he didn't quite understand the situation, Zack knew what she meant: she hasn't given up even though she was rejected. And Zack liked that girl's spirit.

"Well said! Good luck, Claire!"

She nodded, "Uhn. That one million Joules smile surely will be mine."

"One million joules… what?"

"Uhn. One million Joules smile," repeated Claire with her face trying hard to hold back tears.

 _I love you... to the point that I want to cry._

 _And your smile… is equivalent to one million joules of energy for me to keep living._

~ 000 ~

* To be continued ~ *

A / N:

Hello! Though I've published this whole story in Indonesian language, I feel like I want to make an English version… :)

This time is the story about Claire who has an incurable obsession to Gray, and her impure motive to go to Mineral Town. Sorry if you find her personality here is rather strange, haha! I think that her personality or motives to live in Mineral Town all depends to each game player. Let's say this player just fell in love after saw a super-hot Gray's fan art and decided to play Harvest Moon to marry him. This player worked so hard in farming only to be able to buy a double bed –and then getting married, lol. That's my main interest in playing this game, though *yes, to get married*

Claire's obsession –couldn't move on for her nine years unrequited love, isn't something can't happen in real life, though. It just, how much of them who are desperate enough to chase after his/her obsession?

Ah, the term of one million joules smile is the phrase I used for my bias back in middle school, fufufu. Well, you know, something that boosted your spirit to the scariest level xD

Okay, thanks for read this fanfic, and my long A/N –if anyone ever read it xD. See ya.


	2. Don't Give Up, Claire!

**Disclaimer:** Harvest Moon belongs to Natsume, Inc; The Stalker's song and lyrics belong to Adhitia Sofyan, I only own the plot.

 **~2~**

 **"Don't give up, Claire!"**

.

.

 _I always looked at him. The him who was reading book with serious eyes. Ocassionally, his expression would change. Sometimes he knitted his brows. Sometimes he put his hand on his chin, thinking hard. Sometimes he smiled slightly. And sometimes he held his laugh._

 _At the library which had not many visitors, my eyes always easily spotted him. Not only at at the library, –my eyes followed him wherever it was possible for me to see him._

 _At the cafeteria, school yard, along the hallway, through the class' windows, anywhere. As if there was a kind of transmitter sticking on him, and radar in my head which programmed specifically to detect his very presence._

 _Yup, it's as if…_

 _"Anywhere you'd be right now_

 _I'll always gonna find you_

 _The city is mine_

 _Every scent you left behind_

 _I'll always gonna feel them_

 _Cause I know 'em by heart"_

 _[Adhitia Sofyan – The Stalker]_

 _._

 _._

Gray knitted his eyebrows when a girl sat down in front of him at the library. He looked at his right, left, front, and back, searching for another human except that girl. But there was no one. It was always like this, though. He and Doctor Trent were the only regular visitors of this library. Other villagers might come once in a while, but not that much.

"What are you doing here?" Gray asked coldly. His face clearly said 'get-lost-from-my-sight'.

Even so, Claire, whether she noticed it or not, only answered him with her usual cheerful smile, "I'm reading!" she said. Well of course. She sat in front of Gray with a farming magazine in her hand, and she was indeed reading. Reading cheerfully, to be precise. Because her feet just kept swinging in a certain rhythm, sometimes it was her head, and she wouldn't stop smiling.

"Don't kid with me," Gray rebuked in his annoyance. He stood up and walked to the library counter with a book he read just then. A glasses cute girl with her braided long black hair was sitting at the counter while writing something. Gray let out a fake cough to break that girl's concentration.

"Ahem. Mary, I'm borrowing this book," he said. But it seemed like Mary didn't hear him, so he had to call her name once again. "Mary?"

"Eh, ah, yes! Sorry, Gray, I didn't notice you!" she said all nervously. She closed her own notebook and took the book from Gray's hand. Because of her nervousness, she almost drop Gray's book. Lucky he could catch the book in time. "Oh, thank you…" she said, this time with her sweet smile.

–A smile which triggered a gentle smile from a man in front of her. And of course, where the Gray's smile was, there was where Claire's eyes looking.

"Be careful, Mary," Gray told her while kept his eyes on Mary who looked downward to write down the library administration book. After she finish wrote the title of book he borrowed and his name on her list, she raised her head and laughed.

"Ahaha! Sorry for always being careless. Thanks again, Gray!"

Such a laugh, even for Claire, sounded so refreshing. It made the blonde's brain filled with some questions.

 _Hey, why does Gray's face redden? Why he's smiling at her in such a gentle way?_

 _Why does her voice sounds so warm?_

 _She looks like a nerd but she's cute._

 _Why does Gray laugh along with her and gives her his one million joules energy smile?_

 _Ah..._

 _So that's how it is..._

"You like her?"

"Eh?"

For the nth time, Gray was surprised by Claire's sudden question. He just exited from the library with his heart blooming, and suddenly this girl just popped up in front of him, asking for something so bluntly.

He used to avoid this kind of question, but Claire was a different case. If she knew about his feeling to Mary… she might decide to give up on him.

Gray took a deep breath. This way he could manage his red face and also his uncontrollable heart beat. "That's right. I like Mary. That's why… just give up on me."

Rejected for third times, Claire didn't show any sadness in her face. She looked at Gray's eyes direcly and smiled. "I won't give up. You haven't even told her your feeling, right? In any case, if you were rejected, I'll still have my chances. Am I correct?" she asked. A rhetorical question maybe –since Gray were pushed to accept only one answer for it. And it made Gray's face bristled up.

"Aren't you too much? Even though Mary rejects me, doesn't mean that I'll come to like you. I can be as persistent as you and continue to love her…"

Gray's words were butted by Claire's short denial, "No."

"Ha?"

"It's impossible for you to be as persistent as me."

"...?"

"Because my love for you is a lot, lot bigger that I can love you for all these nine years!" She exclaimed.

Gray raised one his eyebrow when he heard her reason. He lost his count on how many times he heard the words 'like' and 'love' from her mouth. Seriously? She said the words that Gray's held inside his heart for this one year so easily?

So much easily?

"Hah!" Gray snorted with his cynical smile. "Say, is that feeling of yours classified as love? Aren't you just too obsessed with me?"

His question put her in silence. He saw that as a chance to attack her further, "Just like a kid who wanted a teddy bear, but she can't… She'll keep wanting it even after she became an adult, because it's stick in her brain too much. Though actually, she doesn't really want nor need it. So open your eyes, and stop loving me."

.

.

.

Claire still stayed on a bench next to supermarket, not too far from the library where Gray leaved her alone. The blue sky had turned reddish, and some villagers had passed her to go back to their own home. She had been thinking about Gray's words since some times ago –what he said about her feeling. Was it true that she only obsessed with Gray? And this feeling wasn't love?

"What's the difference?" she let out her mind unconsciously. And, by a pure coincidence, Mary –who was walking in front of her, heard it.

"Yes?" Mary moved closer to Claire because she thought that girl was talking to her.

On other side, Claire –who was literally daydreaming, confused to see her love rival right in front of her. "Eh?"

"Did you ask me, 'what's the different'?" asked Mary.

Claire's face reddened when she aware that she let out her mind, "Uhm… Nah, sorry. I'm just talking to my self."

She thought the glasses girl would laugh on her, but she wasn't. She only smiled, and sat next to her.

"You like this village?" A very kind question from Mary to a newcomer like her.

"Yes, I like it," she answered plainly. Actually, she wasn't sure how to act towards her love rival. Mary seemed innocent, clueless, and… cute in many ways.

 _Just look at her_.

Even though Claire answered her with a plainly annoying tone, that girl's smile didn't fade at all. She even added a sincere 'thanks Goddess' to it. How could Claire hate that kind of rival?

"Mary, is there someone you love?"

"Eh?" Mary's check reddened in a flash light upon that sacred question. "U-uhm… Well… maybe… yes,"

Looking at how cute and pure this girl, Claire felt her heart tightening.

"Hehe, but sorry, I can't tell you about him yet. Even I myself am still not sure about my own feeling," she continued. Her hands were moving randomly on her laps. Maybe she was nervous.

"Hu-um," Claire murmured while thinking. Mary wasn't sure about her own feeling, and the man could be Gray. "You know, I'm always sure about my feeling. I think it's because I'm a spontaneous girl," she opened her talk. "But now I kinda lost… This like, love, obsession… Have I misinterpreted it? What's the difference?" She asked with helpless face. That expression had Mary's chuckles.

"Ahaha… so that what's you're daydreaming about," Mary referenced to her accidental question back then. Mary got up and stood in front of her. "I think you don't have to differentiate this kind of feelings. Why put it in a completely different box? Uhm…. How about this: love the one you like, to the point you're obsessed with him," Mary spook up her idea, shot an awareness' arrow to her head. In her mind, things were suddenly assembled in the right way. Like, love, and obsession drawn in the same line. It was just about the level.

"You're right. I'm obsessed with the one I love. But it doesn't mean that I don't love him. Right?"

Mary smiled. "I believe so. But there's one important point," she took a little pause to fix her glasses position. She continued, "Love's able to let go the one its love to be happy with another person. Obsession ain't able to do that much."

For a second Claire was spechless. She tried to absorb the librarian's words carefully. A little stunned. A bit stabbed in her heart. As if the librarian warned her that she wasn't the one who could bring Gray's happiness.

Claire chuckled, "Hehe, you're indeed my rival."

"Pardon?"

"Nope…" she shook her head and smiled. As long as she could make Gray happy, then it was enough. She had no obligation to give him up for Mary. "Somehow, I like and dislike you at the same time," said Claire.

Mary's face reddened, she buried in her nervousness and inferiority, "Eh? Do you hate me? I'm sorry, am I…"

"I don't hate you! Maybe I'm just jealous of you," she cut her off before she misunderstand even more.

"Jealous? O-of me?"

"You're cute, kind, and smart. I hope I can become someone like you,"

"Eh?" the glasses girl's face got even redder. Strongly, she shook her head. "It's me, though! I'm the one who want to be like you. You're pretty, energetic, hard worker, and easy-going with everyone. I'm so clumsy and get nervous every time. Thank you for always coming to library and talk to me!"

Claire smiled. Say, how could Mary say such things? Whereas Claire only came to library to meet Gray. She worked so hard to be able living in this town, to be able stay close to Gray. Her world revolved around Gray, without him even care about her. But Mary… she could get Gray's love so easily.

After that, the two girls talked about a lot of things. About Mary who was writing a novel, about Gray who said that he want to read the novel once it was done, about gardening books, about the Harvest Goddess, about flowers field on Mother's Hill, and about how Mary coincidentally met Gray at Mother's Hill sometimes, about Gray's stubborn grandfather and how he consulted to her about it…

Gray. Gray. Gray. Why did his name come to Mary's activities so much?

Well, of course…

 _Their love is mutual._

~000~

An ordinary day at Saibara's Blacksmith. Sounds of rapping hammer bounced off the workshop walls. The workshop placed right behind the counter, without separation, so that those who entered was able to see their ways of working directly. Gray dipped the finished sickle in a water basin, making a hissing sound due to contiguity of hot iron and the cold water. With that, his job ended for the day. He wiped his sweat with his right arm when he saw his grandfather approached with an ax. A scary posed, actually. With his spooky face and ax in hand, it looked as if he was going to kill someone.

"Gray, send this to that new farmer fan of yours. What's her name again? Eh…"

"Claire. Shouldn't you remember it already? And what do you mean by her being my fan?" Gray complained but still taking the ax. He had it enough to see Claire, hear her name, and he really didn't want to say her name.

"Well, ain't she coming everyday only to see you?" Saibara stroke his bushy white beard.

"She also greeted you, Grandpa," Gray said in evasion. He took off his sweaty working shirt and changed it with a clean white t-shirt.

"Not as lovey dovey she greeted you, though: Good morning, Senpaaai!," The old man imitated the way Claire made a heart shape with a pair of her index finger and thumb, and put it in front of her chest. Honestly, he thought that the old man looked even scarier in that sweet pose. Killer pose suited him more.

Anyone who saw this pose would understand what she meant. Luckily she only did it in front of him and his Grandpa –a pose meaning that she loved Gray.

"Stop it, Grandpa. That pose is really embarrassing. Not to mention I rejected her," he said openly with his forehead knitted.

In contrast to Gray, Saibara laughed. A very rare thing coming from that spooky and stubborn old man, "Haha! That kid is amazing. Can you do something like that, Gray? What a straight-forwardness!"

"I can't and I won't. I'm not that stupid," Gray decided not to pay attention to his grandfather talk any longer. He walked to the door, an ax in hand.

~000~

 _Crack!_

Claire was surprised when the handle of hammer she used to smash stones in her farm suddenly broken. In the midst of her broken heart, the incident made her brain hot. A sudden frustration gulped her. She dropped the hammer, and then crouched down. Buried her face on her knees, she tried to bury her negative thoughts.

She then lifted her head and screening throughout her farm. Her vision was slightly blurred. Perhaps because the sun was a bit too strong that day. It had been two weeks since Claire arrived in this city, and she already harvested twice from her farm. So far she thought she did it well enough. At first it wasn't easy. Actually, it was super difficult. She knew nothing about farming; she was a complete beginner who leaned only to manual books.

Before her move, she had bought a lot of books and studied them all. But farming, in reality, wasn't only about following the steps provided in the text books. She should ask some residents, especially Rick, about Mineral Town soil characteristics and how to handle it. She worked had and managed to get money out of this abandoned land. But still, somewhere in heart was empty. And it felt like floating, the place where her feet stand on…

"Claire?"

 _Hm?_

Her view was completely blurred. And in the midst of her remained consciousness, Claire saw a worried face of a man who always filled her heart. He dropped an ax to the ground and support her. Oh yeah, she ordered an ax from Saibara a few days ago.

 _Gray._

 _Gray._

 _Gray..._

"Are you okay?" he asked while kept Claire from falling. When he touched her skin, he could feel her body heat.

"Senpai...," Claire whispered when Gray put his palm on her forehead.

"You've got a fever," said Gray. He then bolstered Claire entering a small house on the edge of the farm. The house that was once filled with cobwebs, dust, and broken furniture, now looked neat and clean. There were only a bookshelf, a calendar, a small bed, a small round table, and a wooden crate. No object to hint that this was a girl room. It was hard to believe, remembering how cheerful and noisy this girl was. Her house was small and quiet, almost like a single room belonged to his grandfather.

Gray laid her on the bed. The girl curled up and covered her face using her left arm.

"Thank you…" she said without seeing Gray. Gray could see both her cheeks were blushed, though it blocked by her arm. Perhaps it was due to her fever… or him being by her side.

"Shall I take you to hospital?" Gray offered help because he couldn't stand seeing her in such bad condition.

Claire shook her head, "Nah, it's alright. Just leave," she kicked him out.

"What?" His brows knitted. Hard to believe he just heard the girl –who has always following him around, asked him to leave.

Claire changed her position, lying on her side so that Gray couldn't see her red face at all. "My heart feels like it's going to explode if you stay here…" she said honestly with low voice. She tried hard not to see his face. She couldn't help it. He just touched her. If his smile was able to make her heart pounding like crazy, what about his touch?

Gray's face slightly flushed from hearing such honest explanation. But, instead of leaving, Gray sat on the floor, rested his elbows on the round table and propped his chin on one hand.

"…do you love me that much?" Gray asked. He noticed the girl's ears from behind turned into red in a blink. If only he could take a peek on her face, he sure he would find it hilarious because she was super red right now. But she felt resentful.

 _What kind of question is that? Isn't it obvious?_

"Leave me alone… Rather than fever, my heart is hurt so much, you know," she finally managed to say something.

"Because of me?" Gray asked innocently.

Upset, she finally got up from bed. "Who else it could be?!" She blown up and glared at him. But as expected from Claire, her eyes couldn't even look at Gray's face for long. Her tears fell within three seconds. Feeling beat, she went back to her position –curling on her bed, and didn't let the young blacksmith looking at her tears.

"Please leave me alone. I'm in the mood to brood," her voice sounded husky, obviously holding her tears.

The man beside her exhaled his breath and then walked out of her house. When she heard her door closed, tears escaped from her eyes. "Goddess, how come I turned into such a crybaby nowadays…" she whispered to herself.

She wasn't like this back then. Actually, she even found it hard to let out her tears. No matter how tight her heart already had been. No matter she want to let out her feelings. But now, when Gray happened to be in front of her, her tears gland became so much weaker. As if it had lost its lids. It leaked the water so easily.

 _But Gray knows nothing._

 _That's why he said something like that yesterday._

 _It's not his fault that I'm being like this, too._

 _It's just me, who loves him too much._

"Isn't it obvious? Even me, I'll run if there's a man who suddenly pop up and says that he loves me in our first meeting," she mumbled. She cried for a long time, until she felt tired and decided to wash her face –which was extremely messy, with fresh water from the river. Just when she opened the door, she surprised by the scene of Gray jogged towards her.

"Here, drink it up," he said as giving her a bottle of turbojolt. Looking at the girl only stood still and didn't move at all, he grabbed her hand and put the bottle in her grasp deliberately. "You're living alone, so take care of your health carefully."

Stunned, Claire could only say thank you in a daze, "Thanks…"

"You're welcome. Well then," he excused himself and walked away.

"Senpai, wait a minute!"

Just like their first meeting in Mineral Town, Claire stopped his steps. And just like that, Gray turned with his forehead frowned.

"My feeling for you… It's indeed love. It's true that I'm obsessed, sometimes I'm going too far, and it's bothering you… I'm sorry!" she bowed deeply. She then quickly raised her head and looked at Gray with her red eyes –thanked to all those crying. "But, is it alright if I keep on loving you? Because... you're my life energy!"

Looking at flustered Claire somewhat transferred some heat to his face as well. He pulled down his hat to cover his red face. "Suit yourself," he said.

He couldn't help but wondering about how this girl said those embarrassing lines so easily. And just like his grandfather said, it couldn't be as easy as it seems. It required lots of courage and recklessness to do so.

 _Guess I have to compliment her for that…_

"Yeay! And then, slowly I'll steal you from Mary!" Claire continued her ultimatum in fire. But because her head was hurt, she collapsed and leaned on the door frame immediately.

… _or not._

 _Yeah, I won't. This girl is too hectic for me._

 _._

 _._

 _[To Be Continued…]_


	3. Rain or Shine

**Disclaimer:** Harvest Moon belong to Natsume, Inc; Rain or Shine song and lyric belong to Ritsuko Okazaki-san. I took the song translation from 7brightNshine's youtube video. I only own the plot.

.

.

.

 **~3~**

 **"Rain or Shine"**

.

.

.

Rain had been pouring down upon Mineral Town since last night and there was no sign of stopping until morning. Raindrops made nonstop rumbling sounds on Doug's Inn roof. The humid air, cold floor, and wet walls due to high rain intensity were to blame of Gray laziness. He was too lazy even to get up from his warm blanket. Cliff, his roommate, on other hand, was still sleeping soundly. Well, it was no problem for Cliff. That brown haired guy didn't have a steady job and not have to get up early like him. As for him, he had to leave early or his grandfather would land another thwack on his head.

Gray opened his eyes weakly. Their room was still dark. Cloudiness filtered the sun and Gray could only see a bit of light through the window. Water was streaming down the window, flowing harshly. Fresh wind escaped from ventilation, brought in the smell of wet soil and trees to his senses.

Gray curled up on his bed, just a little bit longer.

He hated rain.

When it was raining, his hair became limp.

When it was raining, the muddy and wet streets would dirty his favorite brown boots.

When it was raining, he didn't really want to go to library.

"Gray! Wouldn't you be too late for work?" Ann, the Inn owner's daughter, shouted with her high-pitched voice.

"Uhn…"

 _Flash!_

Gray blinked his eyes when a quick flash strike his face. As he tried to accustoming his eyes, he noticed Ann standing with a camera in her hand. The girl smiled devilishly. Noticing what the girl tried to do, he quickly reached his hand to grab the camera, but failed. Ann brought the camera to her back and hid it from Gray.

"What the heck are you doing?" Gray asked peevishly.

" _Ehehe_!" quietly, she put a distance from Gray, "Claire asked me to take your photos. In exchange, she'll give me cheese fondue!" she exclaimed without showing any guilt.

" _Che_. Seriously, that girl. GIVE IT TO ME!" he moved his hand to reach Ann, but the girl ran away. He chased after her, and so a chaos occurred in that small room. The other room occupant –Cliff, woken up thank to the disturbance. Just when he sat on his bed, the man was surprised by a shake on his shoulders. Ann was hiding behind his back! That tomboyish girl had no clue how she made the shy boy in front of her turned as stiff as board and as red as boiled lobster.

"W-wh-wh-what's happening?" he stuttered.

Ann glared at Gray and pointed out, "Gray's pervert!"

"HUH?" Cliff looked at Gray in disbelief. "What have you done to Ann, Gray?!"

 _Goddess_ , Gray sighed. How that roommate of him could blindly trust her? Oh, well, she was Cliff's girlfriend. And the girlfriend sneakily took advance of situation to escape. She ran through the door. Gray was about to chase after her, but the boyfriend blocked his way.

"What's your problem?" the brown eyes glared at Gray angrily. Actually, Cliff expression was a bit complex –to the point it was funny. He had this mixed of angry, nervous, and embarrassed feelings showed on his face. A strange expression, just like the one he had often seen on Claire's face. _Geez_ , why did her name even come to his mind?

"Your girlfriend's going to exchange me with a pot of cheese fondue," Gray replied monotonously. Unaware of his friend's confusion, he walked plodding through his side. "Move aside. I'm going to take a shower, and off to work," he sighed – _for nth time_. He was too sleepy to workout, let alone to have argument with his friend.

 _Time to work… on a rainy day._

~000~

Silhouette of someone playing with a wild cat in the rain, was blurry seen in front of Saibara's Blacksmith. Gray's eyes squinted, trying to get a better view of that person. It was a girl wearing a blue overall, with her long blonde hair. That was clear enough for him to identify her: Claire.

Her color was washed off by the rain, as her surrounding covered in dull color. Only her red umbrella stood out between brown woody fences, moldy walls, muted green bushes, brick-paved street, and cloudy sky. The cat took a shelter under the shop's roof, yet still attracted by a fuzzy tail grass wagging in her hand.

Widening his view Gray saw Rick making chicken feed by putting corns in water mill. But the glasses boy's eyes obviously didn't pay attention to the wooden rotating unit. His brown iris was locked on Claire, warmly looking at her with gentle gaze.

 _Oh, well… Another person tricked by Claire's appearance._

 _Not that I care._

Gray had no intention to greet Claire, but still the girl greeted him cheerfully. He just passed her without bother to reply, and entered the Blacksmith shop. Of course his admirer tailed him behind.

"Good morning, Gramps!" Claire sent her usual greetings to Saibara. She put her red umbrella next to Gray's, beside the shop entrance.

"Oh, so you've recovered, Claire?" asked Saibara who heard about her sickness from Gray two days ago.

" _Yep_! Thanks to Gray!" she exclaimed.

The old man smiled over her energetic answer. She then took off her rucksack, grabbed a pack of pickled turnip, and gave it to him. His smile widened when he saw his favorite food.

"Ohoho! Thank you so much, Claire! Gray could learn from you!"

Claire smiled happily and took a glance to Gray. It didn't take a genius to read that smile of her. He understood it, as clear as Mother's Hill river water: In order to get close to him, she started to get closer to his family first.

"Hmm… pickled turnip tastes best when it's eaten along with sake in sunny weather. Too bad today's raining…" Saibara sighed.

Looking at the old man's disappointment, Claire looked out of the windows. A smile curved on her lips, "I love rain!" she said, leading Gray's eyes unconsciously looking at her.

 _See? We're indeed incompatible to each other. I hate rain. You love rain._

"When it's raining, I don't need to water my plants."

 _Well, of course._

"Then, if I close my eyes, and listening to the rhythm of falling rain… isn't it calming?"

 _Eh…_

"And after the rain, if I see a rainbow, I feel like my courage is leveled up ten times!"

Saibara's laughter followed after that. He took his pickled turnip and said, "Guess I'll try to eat this while closing my eyes, in rainy day."

~000~

All blacksmithing works for today had finished, yet the sky hadn't stop squeezing its water. Gray looked at his wet boats. He hated this damp feeling around his feet. Outside the blacksmith shop, he leaned out from under his blue umbrella to look at cloudy sky above him. It was really pouring down. Closing his eyes, he tried to listen to the sound of rainfall. At first it was nothing special. Along the times, he noticed it was kinda refreshing. The similar feeling he got when his ears caught the sound of wave crashing on the shore –or gusted of wind. An irregular rhythm which formed by thousands drops of water hitting any surfaces. It wasn't that bad. Actually, it was pretty calming.

Gray took a step and began to walk to the Inn. Usually, because of his bad mood whenever it was raining, he tended to go home and sleep rather than go to library. As he was passing through Aja's Winery, sounds of rain started to fade away, and then completely gone; leaving a quiet drizzle around him.

He put his umbrella aside. Looking at the northern sky brighter than the one above him. There, he could see a seven-colored curve, started from Mineral Beach and ended on Church's roof.

" _And after the rain, if I see a rainbow, I feel like my courage is leveled up ten times!"_

Gray's face reddened. He didn't understand what's happening to his heart. Suddenly, he had an urge to turn his feet and walked to library. He wanted to see Mary's face.

And that was exactly what he did.

Something was moving inside him, controlling his usual composure, moving his hand to open the library's door. He found Mary near the book selves, organized her new collections to their best place. Somehow, even the very ordinary view seemed sparkling in his eyes.

"Oh, hello, Gray!" Mary greeted him so casually, didn't give a damn about Gray's abnormal feeling.

Gray put his umbrella nearby the door, and entered with his wet boats. The damp feeling on his feet was gone. His heart was beating like crazy, pumped the blood and warmed his whole body. Slowly, he walked closer to his beloved glasses girl. His blue iris looked straight at Mary. His cheek blushed, but he didn't try to hide it with his hat like he used to do. As if something struck in his throat, he was struggling to make a sound. Letting out the words he had buried inside his heart all this time.

"Mary… I love you. Please go out with me."

~000~

No matter how time always seemed to go slowly here in Mineral Town, night would always come. Rain had stopped since afternoon, but her farm still wet and muddied. She didn't hate it, though. Today he saw a rainbow and Gray's face, which was enough to make her day perfect.

She glanced at the mailbox and noticed there was a letter inside. She took the letter and looked at the sender name. Her smiling face suddenly turned into a rage. She bit her lips and looked at afar, trying to cope with her emotion. When she finally felt in control, she opened the letter.

" _Claire, how are you? I heard from mother that you moved to Mineral Town, and she gave me your address. You told her that you want to chase your dream, but I won't believe it so easily. Why did you decide to move and leave your family? Is it because I'm going to go back to the main house with my wife? If that's your reason, then we'll cancel our plan. Should you go to such a far remote place? Mother worries about you so much. Me too, your brother, wor…"_

The letter in her hand wasn't last long since she ripped it without even finish reading it. She took a deep breath and slowing released it. Her heart felt so tight that it was hard to breath. As if her shining world suddenly gulped down with an endless darkness. Once again, she took a deep breath, this time with her eyes closed. Just like that, Gray's smile came to her mind. With his warm orange hair, he just like a sun in her cloudy world. It was true that he never do something big to help her or anything. He wouldn't even know her name if she didn't appear before him. But it didn't matter for Claire. Simply with his existence, she was able to smile.

.

.

 **"Rain or Shine"**

.

Not everyone we meet are people that we like

Sometime others may bring us troubles

That makes us feel terrible

.

However often after troubles, happiness and fortune will come

With perseverance and pain, we travel our hectic life

.

Is there something missing?

Sometime we need to shout it out

Stays alone under blue sky

How far away should i go?

.

Our relationship still hasn't started

Even i stay there beside him like that

Today he is as cool as usual

Why not having a good day enjoying myself?

.

Nobody can catch me

I love to be free

Nobody can always be fulfilled

It's a long lonely night

.

I'm asking for someone

So let's say it out loud

If you say you need me

I will immediately fly to you

.

When i close my eyes at time of difficulties

Your smile will appears in my mind

With you saying to me:

.

It doesn't matter to live like a fool

That's not the key of life

Cheers for our unique destiny

Your courage is why i love you so

.

.

A/N:

Thank you so much for your reviews, , **Mnemah** , and **Annie Thea**. I replied in PM :3

I hope you like this chapter :D Angst would come as the story goes.

I inserted some song lyrics in this fanfics, mostly Japanese song. If you're interested, you can search them in youtube. I love all the song I put here, and I was listening to it while writing this.

I open to any advices/suggestions/critics because I really want to improve myself. It'll be a big help for me, hehe. See you at the next chapter~

.

 _Mind to review?_

 _._


End file.
